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Recently, I realized I'm unemployable.

Not employable in the conventional sense, anyway.

The good news is that being unemployable doesn't mean you have to be unemployed.

1. I don't fit in a box

I have never fit in, really. I have been a freelancer for 15 years. I have covered some unusual subjects in my career. I am six-foot-one. I grew up in Berkeley, California. In other parts of the country, the goal is to fit in. In Berkeley, the goal is to not fit in.

When I got downsized, I panicked. That panic led to wishful thinking. I started to believe that if I just got my resume right, if I just sent my resume to the right person, if I just said the right thing in an interview, I would get a real job, just like everyone else.

It's seven months later, and that never happened.

2. If you are different, others may fail to recognize you

This is not to say I am unemployed. I am full-time self-employed. Given the economy, the unemployment rate, and the Great Recession, this is something of a miracle.

Currently, "the average worker who is unemployed has been searching for a job for 40.4 weeks." If you have never been unemployed in a tough economy, you might think people who spend 40 weeks looking for a job are lazy. They are not. It's hard out there for an unemployed person.